


This Is My Kingdom Come

by cansas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Healing, Human Castiel, M/M, Mark of Cain, Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-08 23:06:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3226868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cansas/pseuds/cansas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel got his Grace back and now he needs to try to cure Dean of the effects of the Mark of Cain as their last resort, willing to sacrifice everything for his righteous man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is My Kingdom Come

**Author's Note:**

> I want to note that I do believe and I do hope that Sam plays a significant role in removing the Mark from Dean, but I don’t know how to include him in my idea, plus I’m not that great writing him. 
> 
> Also I'd like to thank deanismypatronass on tumblr for beta-ing this.
> 
> Thank you, and enjoy!

"And you’re sure this is going to work?" Dean asked as he took off his plaid shirt so only a black t-shirt covered his torso, his eyes tracking Castiel’s movements who took off his own outer layers from across the bed.

Castiel looked at Dean, then his eyes trailed down to where the Mark of Cain stared angrily back at him, the ugly redness of the scar contrasting with the pale skin of Dean’s forearm. 

“No,” he answered. He folded up his suit jacket and placed it on top of his trench coat where it sat on Dean’s desk. “But it’s the best chance we have to rid you of the effects of the Mark, and that’s good enough for me.” Dean had begun to sit on the bed but at those words he straightened up and shook his head.

"You don’t have to do this, Cas. It’s… it’s too much to ask. I mean, you just got your Grace back and now you’re going to lose it again just ‘cause it might take the edge off the Mark."

Castiel frowned at Dean, studying his concerned green eyes. Then he looked deeper into his soul. That once bright and shining soul, the very essence of Dean Winchester, was now dulled by darkness. Bits and pieces of it appeared to have been eaten away by the evil the Mark brought forth. Yet Castiel knew that beneath the sinister darkness Dean’s soul remained intact, only concealed and deformed by the ravenous parasite. He knew as certainly as he knew that the sky reflected blue wavelengths that risking losing his Grace and more would be worth healing Dean. 

Dean cleared his throat, bringing him back to the present and he sat on the bed. “Dean, you haven’t asked anything. I want to do this. Life as a human is more preferable to me than life as an angel without the Dean Winchester I know and love.” He ignored the blush on Dean’s cheeks for the hunter’s sake and patted the bed beside him. “Come, let’s begin.” Dean took a deep breath then lowered himself onto the bed. “Good. Lay down.” Castiel leaned back intending to lay down, but Dean grabbed his wrist and jerked him to sit back up.

"Hey Cas, in case this goes wrong…" Dean’s voice trailed off as he averted his eyes to the comforter, quickly releasing his grip on Castiel’s wrist.

The silence dragged on for a moment with Dean’s sentence left incomplete, then Castiel broke it. “What is it?”

Dean licked his lips before meeting his eyes again, then opened his mouth before shutting it, clearly changing his mind on what he was going to say. “Just… thanks. For, uh, everything,” he said curtly, the words and tone at odds with the gentle expression he’d worn when he’d started speaking. Castiel chose not to dwell on it, simply nodding and laying down on the mattress. Dean mirrored him, their bodies facing opposite ways, head to feet, but their hands met in the middle.

Castiel felt Dean tense when he clutched his forearm, his palm directly over the Mark of Cain. The putrid curse roiled and raged under his hand, the darkness stroking his skin like wisps of fog.

“I am now going to purge you of the demonic effects of the Mark,” he stated and took a deep breath. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Dean replied, voice strong and sure, masking any doubts or fears he may have felt.

Castiel nodded and shut his eyes before willing his Grace to gather in his hand. A faint light grew brighter as more Grace accumulated, tingling and dancing beneath his skin. With a deep breath he pushed his Grace beyond the surface of his skin and forced it into the Mark, then further until it worked into the dark mass that encrusted Dean’s soul. Dean let out a grunt and squirmed, suddenly gripping onto Castiel’s forearm.

"F-Fuck!" he yelled, kicking his legs out and thrashing against the bed.

But Castiel was too focused on completing the transfer to react beyond holding onto Dean’s arm tighter. He felt himself weakening with every drop of Grace that bled into Dean, the holy substance draining him of strength and of divine life. 

His back arched off the bed and a scream tore from his throat. The Grace that had once made him whole now felt like fire in his human body. Maybe Dean was screaming as well, but he couldn’t tell, not over his own yells and the rapid pounding of his pulse in his ears. Like flesh ripped off of bone, the last of his Grace pried itself from his spirit and flooded into Dean. Castiel collapsed into the mattress panting and drenched in sweat. Eyes blinking open, he peered over at Dean and found him lying still with his eyes shut.

"D… De’n…" he mumbled and tried to sit up, but a coughing fit forced him back down. He wanted to check on Dean. He needed to know if he was unconscious, or even alive. But exhaustion tugged restlessly at his mind, dropping him into the black nothingness of sleep. 

—-

Empty.

That was all Castiel felt. The weight of heavenly divinity gone from a body that was no longer a vessel but his own again. Though he’d been human before, no amount of experience could prepare him to deal with the storm of emotions boiling in his brain or the uncomfortable sensation of a hunger cramp and a scratchy dry throat. Once he could listen to millions of prayers at a time and fly around the Earth twice in a second. Now the silence in his mind deafened him and the simple act of opening his eyes took too much strength. Perhaps he could lie there and rest for a few days or weeks until he had reason to get up and fully embrace his humanity…

Dean.

The Mark of Cain.

Castiel peeled his eyes open, wincing at the harsh light but not giving into the temptation to sleep again just yet. He needed to ensure Dean was alive and okay before he could sleep and eat and drink and urinate and all the other tedious necessities that being human came with. Propping himself up on his elbows he looked to where Dean should be lying across from him, but he found the space vacant. “Dean?” he called, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to stand up, but the change from using his Grace to support any weight he carried to having to use his muscles took him by surprise and he toppled forward. Before he hit the ground arms caught him and hoisted him up into a hug, his own arms caught between their bodies. 

"Dammit, Cas." The deep familiar voice spoke near his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "Thought I was gonna have to sit there forever waiting for you to wake up."

Castiel leaned back and placed his hands on the man's chest, staring at him for several seconds and recognizing the light of life behind Dean's eyes. Not his soul, Castiel would never view that beauty again, but the simple vibrancy of being alive and temporarily free from burdens. Free from the darkness of the Mark. Castiel smiled widely and slid his hands up to Dean's shoulders to grip them. "Dean..." 

Dean returned the smile and pulled Castiel back into the hug. "Yeah, it worked, man... It worked. Thank you..." Castiel clung onto Dean, melting into his body and all the promises there that didn't need to be spoken in words. He would have been content to stay there, wrapped in Dean's arms, but his stomach gave a loud growl that made Dean laugh and pull away. "Ya hungry? Want me to make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"

Castiel nodded, never taking his eyes of Dean, a faint smile still on his lips. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Awesome. Then maybe we can watch some movies or something, I don't know We got all the time we want," Dean said and took Castiel's hand as they walked towards the kitchen.

Castiel knew that assimilating to being human again would be a long process, a never ending challenge that would bring new fights each day to work through. But with Dean by his side to lean on, and being there for Dean in return, the struggle of daily life really didn't seem that terrible after all.


End file.
